Early Years

Born Abel Tesfaye on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Canada, the Weeknd has become one of the music industry's leading alternative R&B performers. He is the son of Ethiopian immigrants but has had little contact with his father, who left the family when the Weeknd was only a toddler. His early musical influences ranged from traditional Ethiopian music to the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Weeknd specifically cited the impact of Jackson’s 1979 hit "Don’t Stop â€˜til You Get Enough," describing it as "the song that helped me find my voice. It’s the reason I sing.â€

Never shy about displaying his vocal talents, the Weeknd started recording his efforts while in high school. After dropping out, he continued exploring his interest in music, and released a free download called House of Balloons in 2011. This, along with two more mixtapes, helped push his career forward. He worked with Drake on his 2011 album, Take Care, which featured several tracks from House of Balloons, and landed a deal with Universal’s Republic Records.

The Weeknd Albums

The Weeknd’s earlier mixtapes were re-released as 2012’s Trilogy, which became a platinum-selling record for the young artist. Despite his growing popularity, he managed to hide himself from the public at large. The Weeknd refused interviews for a long time and chose to use images of women for his 2013 album, Kiss Land, rather than pictures of himself. Some of the mystique he built around himself was intentional, but it also reflected the shyness and insecurities that troubled him early in his career.

In addition to his own work, the Weeknd collaborated with other artists. He appeared on Wiz Khalifa’s â€œRemember Youâ€ in 2012 and worked with Rick Ross on his 2014 album, Mastermind. That same year, the Weeknd helped producer Max Martin with Ariana Grande’s hit Love Me Harder, and also scored success with Earned It, the first single released from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack.

In 2015, the Weeknd continued his rise to the top with the No. 1 album Beauty Behind the Madness. His disco-pop infused single â€œCan’t Feel My Face,â€ which could be about a romantic experience or drug use, became for many the unofficial song of the summer, while his ballad â€œThe Hillsâ€ also made quite an impression on music fans.

This well-received record helped the Weeknd rack up an impressive seven nominations for the 2016 Grammy Awards, winning for Best R&B Performance for "Earned It" and Best Urban Contemporary Album. He also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, also for "Earned It."

The Weeknd Starboy

Starboy is the third studio album of The Weeknd. It was released on November 25, 2016, by XO and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, Future, and Kendrick Lamar. The album was supported by three singles: "Starboy" featuring Daft Punk, "I Feel It Coming" and "Party Monster".
Starboy received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 348,000 album-equivalent units and 209,000 copies in the first week. It also debuted at number one on Billboard's Canadian Albums Chart.

The Weeknd and Drake

In July, Tesfaye embarked on a tour and delivered his first performance at the Mod Club in Toronto. The hour-and-a-half long performance created buzz about him. His next performance took place at Toronto’s Molson Canadian Amphitheatre. He collaborated extensively with rapper Drake lending his vocals to several standout tracks on Drake's multi-platinum Take Care album and appeared as one of the special guests to Drake's second Annual OVO Fest on 31 July 2011.

On 16 May 2013, The Weeknd premiered the title track to his debut studio album Kiss Land, which he said will be released on 10 September. It was also promoted by the singles "Belong to the World", "Live For" featuring Drake and The Weeknd's The Fall tour beginning in September. Kiss Land received generally positive reviews from music critics. Kiss Land debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 96,000 copies, just two thousand copies short of Keith Urban's Fuse, which took the number one spot that week.

The Weeknd Best Songs

Best Songs By The Weeknd: Earned It, High For This, Acquainted, The Party And The After Party, Initiation, What You Need, Rolling Stone, The Zone, The Morning, Tell Your Friends, Wicked Games, Montreal, House Of Ballons/Glass Table Girls, Wanderlust, Can't Feel My Face, Devil May Cry, Prisoner, Often and Starboy.